Engineering Manager - Cloud-Native Backend Systems

Engineering Manager - Cloud-Native Backend Systems Remote in EU | Long-term B2B Contract Role Overview We are looking for an experienced Engineering Manager to lead a team responsible for building and evolving complex, cloud-native backend systems. This is a technical leadership role for someone who combines strong people-management experience with a deep software-engineering background. You will manage and develop engineers, take ownership of team delivery and remain closely involved in architecture, technical decision-making and engineering quality. You will not be expected to write production code every day, but you must be technically credible and comfortable reviewing designs, challenging architectural decisions, supporting engineers through complex problems and contributing hands-on when necessary. The environment includes distributed systems, microservices, containerised applications and cloud infrastructure supporting high-volume, business-critical products. Key Responsibilities: Lead, support and develop a team of software engineers Take responsibility for team performance, delivery and engineering quality Conduct regular one-to-one meetings, performance reviews and career-development conversations Recruit, onboard and retain strong engineering talent Establish clear goals, expectations and ownership within the team Work closely with Product Owners to define priorities, scope and delivery plans Translate product and business requirements into practical engineering outcomes Remain closely involved in system design and architectural decisions Guide the development of scalable microservices and distributed backend systems Review technical proposals and challenge engineering decisions constructively Support engineers in resolving complex technical and production issues Establish and continuously improve coding, testing and code-review standards Strengthen CI/CD, observability, documentation and operational practices Promote system reliability, scalability, maintainability and security Identify technical debt and balance platform improvements with product delivery Coordinate dependencies and technical decisions across engineering teams Create an environment of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement Contribute hands-on to prototypes, technical investigations or critical issues when required Requirements: At least 8 years of professional software-engineering experience At least 3 years of experience leading or managing software-engineering teams Proven experience with direct people management, including performance management, development and hiring Strong technical background in backend software development Recent technical experience with at least one backend language such as Java, Python or Go Strong understanding of microservices and distributed-system architecture Hands-on knowledge of AWS or Azure Strong experience with Kubernetes and Docker Good understanding of APIs, databases, asynchronous processing and event-driven architecture Experience establishing engineering standards, code-review practices and testing strategies Strong understanding of CI/CD, observability and production operations Experience managing delivery in a product-led or agile engineering environment Ability to balance people leadership, technical quality and delivery expectations Confidence working with senior engineers, architects, Product Owners and business stakeholders Strong written and spoken English (C1+) Based within the European Union and able to work on a B2B contract Nice to have: Experience managing teams building AI-powered or data-intensive products Experience with both AWS and Azure Experience scaling an engineering team or supporting organisational growth Previous experience modernising a monolith or evolving a microservices platform Knowledge of Python, Java or Go ecosystems Experience with Infrastructure as Code, such as Terraform or CDK Experience with high-volume or business-critical production systems Knowledge of Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog or distributed tracing Experience working across multiple engineering teams or product areas What's on Offer: Fully remote work within the European Union Long-term B2B engagement Leadership of a technically strong engineering team Genuine influence over architecture, engineering practices and team development Work on complex, internationally used AI-enabled products Collaboration with experienced engineering, product and cloud specialists More than 20 days of paid time off Apple equipment Training and professional-development budget Diversity and Inclusion Commitment We are dedicated to creating and sustaining an inclusive, respectful workplace for all -regardless of gender, ethnicity, or background. We actively encourage applicants from all identities and experience levels to apply and bring your authentic self to our fast-paced, supportive team. Locations Hungary Remote status Fully Remote About Salve.Inno Consulting Bringing a personalized approach to connecting exceptional talent with unique opportunities. Specializing in recruitment for diverse roles, leveraging extensive experience and innovative strategies to find the perfect match for any business needs. Collaboration builds a stronger, more successful future – one strategic hire at a time. Founded in 2024 Co-workers 10-50